-- [ From: Bob Nogueira * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
A couple of years ago I felt the need to reduce my insurance cost as
the premiums on four cars for my wife and I were getting kinda high.
The ads in the classic car magazines seemed like a good deal as long as
I was willing to give up driving them when ever the mood and weather
coincided. It would mean I would have to get more active in club events
if I wanted to enjoy the pleasures of my MGB and Morgan.
I decided to check with the Texas Insurance Board to Insure that the
companies were recognized in Texas and the policy would be honored.
{ CAUTION : Do not attempt this at home.Trying to obtaining information
from a State agency is an extremely risky venture and and research has
show it can lead to mental illness and heart disease }
Twenty two years in " public service " I felt prepared to take on the
Austin Bureaucrats.
The preliminaries through the phone receptionist was a piece of cake
and shortly I found myself connected to the Information Office
"Yes I would like to see if an insurance company which sells classic
car insurance is recognized in Texas and ........"(thrust)
"I'm sorry we don't endorse one companies over an other " came the
monotone response.(parry)
No I don't want you to recommend a company, I just want to know if the
classic car insurance they sell......."( Parry, Thrust)
"Oh , you want the press release of November 4th !!!(Check and mate)
Boy was she good. Twenty-two years in the minors at the county level, I
had never shut someone down so cleanly. My only hope was to retreat and
maybe get a parting shot in on the way out.
" Yes that's what I want! Please send me a copy."
No information (victory) but at least I made her get up from her
crossword puzzle and go to the copier.
( Since Texas is a fiscally conservative state, only supervisory level
positions have PCs on which to play solitaire, line staff must content
themselves with the crossword puzzle in the paper)
The next couple of weeks was spent reviewing what could be put off on
the restoration of the Morgan DHC in the garage to pay the premiums on
the Plus4 and MGB's insurance for the next year. Then came the
motherload. The press release arrived.
Translated from the bureaucratese it said that the 'Board' had reviewed
a proposal to permit a 75% discount from the state mandated rate for
persons insuring more cars than there were drivers in the household. (
Think about it. The insurance company insures others that¯ it will pay
for damage done by you when driving your car. Even if you have more
than one car you can only do damage to others in one car at a time. The
car in the garage is not a threat to anyone. But the company gets to
charge you twice, once for each car, yet has no greater liability ) The
board was however, unsure of the "adverse effect" this might have on
rates and the states rate payers ( read " we ain't sure the companies
are going to like this") and had taken the matter under advisement (
read
" Bubba call Sam at Fidelity Casualty and see if he's going to be
pissed if we do this¯") However, it being an election year the board
did authorize the 75% reduction in the rates for collectable cars which
are not used primarily for every day transportation.
My adversary in Austin had made the blunder of the year, Not only had
she sent me information I could use, she sent me information I could
use and didn't ask for!
Armed with this 'Press Release' I could go to my agent and not only
save enough to insure both cars but also have some left over to buy new
seat bladders for the DHC.
As a side note in the two years since that press release I have never
seen a notice in any paper, newsletter or known of any one who knew
about the reduced rate. ( That Public Information Office must have a
very small budget).
Tune in tomorrow for:The WAR BETWEEN THE ALLSTATES
BOB ( not assoc. with Microsoft ) "I HAD IT FIRST"
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